Taillight removal for water leak 2017 320S

Istokpoga
Istokpoga Member Posts: 22
in Tips & Tricks
We recently found evidence of water intrusion inside the rear starboard (grass) side corner  Seeing other posts regarding this issue I decided to pull the taillight assembly off this side for an initial look. 
There are four larger screws on the assembly panel, five smaller ones on the adjoining side panel, and four under/around the grab bar which appear to hold the two trim pieces together. I removed all of these. At this point the rear trim/light assembly will wiggle around but not pull free. It appears "stuck" to the trailer body directly under the reflector. 
Question: Is the reflector assembly hiding another fastener, or is this a result of a big blob of silicone adhering the back of the assembly to the trailer body?  If it's the latter, I can slide a plastic putty knife in there to break the pieces free from one another, but there's not enough of a gap for me to see in there. The last thing I want to do is break a piece of teal trim "fixing" what is likely a simple issue. 
Also, please let me know if this picture is not re-sized correctly. I downloaded an image re-sizer and "think" it's right. Note the quote marks around "think". 
Thanks in advance for advice and comments! 
Fred

Fred & Victoria with Bichons Venus & Gator; On the shores of Lake Istokpoga, Florida; Tan@Bell@ 2017 Teal & White 320 S towed by a 2004 Nissan Titan and occasionally by GatorRoo, a 2011 Subaru Outback 3.6 L 
"It's great to be a Florida Gator!"

Comments

  • Awca12a
    Awca12a Member Posts: 288
    Or just try some Captain Tully’s Leak Fix and don’t mess with it.  
    F150 Pulling 2019 T@B400 BDL
  • Verna
    Verna Member Posts: 6,876
    The silicone is holding the tail light in place. Remove it and the tail light comes out. The is very little slack in the wiring. Clean the old silicone out and reapply with liberal amounts of continuous beads of silicone. 
    Verna, Columbus, IN
    2021 T@B 320S  Boondock “The T@B”
    Towed by a white 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 Supercab, 3.5L V6 Ecoboost “The Truck”
  • Istokpoga
    Istokpoga Member Posts: 22
    Verna, that is what I was hoping to hear. A plastic putty knife slipped in there should do the trick. A fair amount of dry crumbly silicone came out with the four larger screws and I am hoping this will resolve the issue. 
    Thank you!
    Fred & Victoria with Bichons Venus & Gator; On the shores of Lake Istokpoga, Florida; Tan@Bell@ 2017 Teal & White 320 S towed by a 2004 Nissan Titan and occasionally by GatorRoo, a 2011 Subaru Outback 3.6 L 
    "It's great to be a Florida Gator!"
  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,035
    @Istokpoga, your sizer reduced your picture to a perfect 800 x 600.  Thank you.  
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
  • HowlinWIndWalkr
    HowlinWIndWalkr Member Posts: 1
    edited September 2025
    Hi I know this may be an old issue but it my current issue.  Arizona monsoons well they’re monsoons and I am having water issues as explained  above.  I have sealed it with 3M marine adhesive sealant fast cure 4200.  

    Do I need to seal the entire area?  I’m learning as I go.
     


  • gulfarea
    gulfarea Member Posts: 524
    @HowlinWIndWalkr Rather then remove all the light I did the same thing 2 years ago and so far no leak! Art
    2019 TaB 320 S Boondock Edge

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